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State of the Blog: The Record Year of 2024 on Res Ipsa

crowd vj dayWe often use the end of the year to do a quick review of the state of the blog. We will soon pass our 87,000,000 view mark and our community continues to grow rapidly around the world.  As a mark of that growth, we are now staggering our periodic updates that used to occur with each new millionth marker since we are now surpassing a million such views on average in less than a month.

As always, I want to offer special thanks for Darren Smith, who has continued to help manage the blog.  I also want to thank our dedicated editors Kristin Oren and Hartwell Harrison, who continue their amazing work proofing posts on a daily basis to remove my embarrassing typos.  Finally, I would like to thank our regular readers who alert me to typos or any violations of the civility or copyright policies on the blog.

The growth on Twitter this year has been astonishing. We are now approaching 900,000 followers on X (formerly known as Twitter), up around 40 percent from last year. Thousands of new people have signed up for emails, and we have over 21,000 WordPress subscribers, double our number from last year.

This week, we passed 22,175 posts and roughly 1,430,000 comments.

So here are the annual figures. Over the last year, our ten biggest international sources for readers came from:

  1. United States
    2. Canada
    3. Australia
    4. United Kingdom
    5. Germany
    6. New Zealand
    7. Netherlands
    8. France
    9. Japan
    10. Mexico

The biggest surprise was how Australia passed Great Britain this year as the second highest traffic outside of the United States.

The top five posts in terms of traffic in the last year were:

    1. Garland’s Moment of Truth: With the Perjury Referral, the Attorney General Faces a Clear Choice Between Principle and Politics
    2. Nightmare Scenario: How a Trump Trial Could Now Run Up to (or Through) the 2024 Election
    3. Jake Tapper and CNN Lose Major Motions in Defamation Case by Navy Veteran
    4. “The Laptop is Real”: Justice Department Denounces Claims of Russian Disinformation as a Biden “Conspiracy Theory”
    5. Congress’s Jan. 6 Investigation Looks Less and Less Credible

The success of the blog continues to amaze me. I am deeply honored to be the host of this blog and to see the continued rapid expansion of its readership.

We are now routinely ranked among the top legal blogs in the world. We have also attracted our share of accolades, including the ABA Journal for its blog Hall of Fame. That is due in large part to our regulars who add perspectives and passion to the issues that we discuss.

In these trying times, it is nice to have a place (even a virtual place) where you can go to discuss the issues from the momentous to the simply odd. I hope that you continue to find this to be a site worthy of your time and your contributions.

So, here’s hoping for a great year to come for our country, our families, and, yes, our blog in 2025.

49 thoughts on “State of the Blog: The Record Year of 2024 on Res Ipsa”

  1. You are the first thing I read each morning. Congratulations on all your successes.

  2. “87,000,000 view mark”

    Congratulations JT (and DS).

    Thank you for your indefatigable efforts and for the opportunity to comment.

  3. HIlarious, Turley’s blog is No. 10 while Above the law is No. 3. Being at the bottom of the top ten is huh…noteworthy i guess.

    1. “Being at the bottom of the top ten . . .”

      That ranking is of the “*100* Best Legal Blogs.” (emphasis added)

      But when your desire is to smear, you lie like you breathe.

    2. If you are so hateful, why are you still here?! Top ten is top ten; notice he didn’t say top 5? Geez

  5. Jonathan: While you were patting yourself on the back you missed the BREAKING NEWS. One of Musk’s Cybertrucks pulled up in front of the Trump International Hotel is Las Vegas early this morning and burst into flames. One person was killed and 7 others injured. AP reports that the Cybertruck contained a load of fireworks. AP also says the truck was rented through the Turo app–the same app used to rent the vehicle used in the New Orleans deadly attack.

    Musk responded to the Las Vegas incident on X: “The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now…We’ve never seen anything like this”. Elon has a short memory. Since 2013 there have been a total of 232 confirmed Tesla fires involving 83 fatalities. Of course, this latest incident may involve some deliberate act but we don’t know that yet.

    Social media was quick to respond to this latest incident. Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief of Meidas Touch News, set the tone. He posted a photo of the Cybertruck in flames with this comment: “A real photo and the perfect metaphor heading into 2025”. There were lot of other social media posts about the incident. One person posted: “The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now. They are investigating whether they should sell stock before it crashes”. Another posted a video of a dumpster on fire floating down a flooded street with the caption: “Kinda like what this next 4 years will be like…”. Finally, another person posted this tongue in cheek comment: “It was terrorism by an illegal immigrant who made so much money taking away American jobs he bought a Tesla truck. With the Trump border czar demanding immediate deportation he decided to blow up the Tesla in front of a Trump hotel. Much sarcasm intended”.

    The only thing I can add is that Musk’s Cybertruck is ugly as hell!

    1. Professor Turley – You are very smart. Can you explain why God let’s DNC trolls infest your blog?

        1. Cheerful, or you could relax, stop the grammar police routine and try to be a decent person. Think of it as a resolution to be something you have never been before.

    2. Dennis, the Tesla Cybertruck didn’t catch on fire. It was intentionally exploded, with fuel cans of gasoline, camping fuel, and firework mortars in the bed. It’s disappointing that there are people who react with glee to an attack that injured at least 7 people.

      I do agree with you, however, that I don’t care for its aesthetic.

      1. Karen S: When I posted my comment there were few details about the Cybertruck incident. It now appears it was an intentional act. But we don’t know the motives of the driver who died in the fire. It now appears it was a political statement. As for me, I don’t “react with glee to an attack that injured 7 people”. Political violence that results in death or injuries should be condemned. Unfortunately, I don’t recall any condemnation of political violence by some on this blog surrounding the violent attack on the Capitol on 1/6/2021 that resulted in injuries to 174 Capitol police officers. In fact, that shameful act is still celebrated on the right. DJT intends to pardon some of the insurrectionists. Will you condemn any pardons that involved political violence?

    3. Dennis, regarding the terrorist attack in Las Vegas you could have said that there were two terrorist attacks in the US yesterday while Biden was asleep and the VP was AWOL.

    4. The exploding cyber truck is under investigation. Regarding electric vehicles that catch fire, they span the gamut of manufacturers who make electric vehicles. This is one of many engineering challenges to having EVs.

      This was more than a spontaneous fire.

      Dennis, I rarely agree with you, but I also think the cyber truck is ugly.

  6. My money is on the recent theory that the virus came in thru the USA embassy in Beijing under diplomatic cover, and was spread by CIA covert operatives acting as athletes during the winter games. The Chinese lockdowns were brutal and very selective. They targeted those sites that were coincidental with the games. Dig deep and track the links.

  8. I really appreciate not only your topics and essays but also how you thank your team members, how you clearly explain the law to many of us that need clarification. Also, you are honest in real time on matters in question and with individuals who are just plain wrong and why. It helps me tremendously as you define the constitutional principle of checks and balances. I thank you for your calm demeanor as you debate an issue on a panel and in your interviews with the press. It has been said above before but I too have learned a lot. Thank you and congratulations! : ) Catherine in Texas

  9. My wife and I read this blog every morning with our coffee. The factual information and legal analysis in this “age of rage” is invaluable. Thank you!

  10. Congratulations and many thanks for the insights you provide daily.
    A blessed and healthy 2025 to you and yours

  11. * It’s an enjoyable blog. Life, liberty and property! John Locke?

    Thanks

  12. Elon Musk pays his subscribers on Twitter/X for the content they generate. Just saying

    thanks for letting us play in your sandbox

    1. Ignore this person! He/she is envious of a good clear mind and astute ability to see to the core of issues! Sad that this is the only comment this person can make — without any back up –sort of like the Dems who call people names but can’t give facts. This is what kids do in a sand box when they can’t find words to defend their points of view…

      JT — thanks for all your articles. I for one (of many)
      appreciate getting clear analysis on issues! Happy New Year!

  14. I’ve been reading this blog just about daily for at least a decade. In 2018 I retired in Malaysia. I wonder, am I the only reader in Malaysia?

  16. Thanks for your explanations of the law, the legal processes, and what they mean in the world of politics and to us in our lives as citizens protected by our US Constitution. Wishing you continued success.

  18. Yes, congratulations and hope for a great 2025. I look forward to every message.

  20. Jonathan – I can’t thank you enough for your fabulous essays. I enjoy them immensely and learn so much from you. Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year and all the best!

    1. This is one of my GoTo blogs at least once per day. As I am not well versed in the law your comments are very appreciated.

      1. I am versed in the law – not to Turley’s level by a long shot – and find his analyses helpful and enlightening, and, when the topic is something I know a little about, right on the money from what I know. We are fortunate to have the professor available to us.

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